Both menu items are variations on McDonald’s buttermilk crispy chicken, adding a Southwestern sauce to the sandwich and tenders. According to one McDonald’s employee, the menu items come after years of customer demands for a spicy chicken sandwich at the chain.

The limited-time offer will come on the heels of a massive chicken sandwich debate.

Last week, Popeyes rolled out a new chicken sandwich, available with or without spice. The sandwich was an immediate hit, inspiring intense debate on whether it could be the best version of the fast-food chicken sandwich available in the US.

Soon, Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s, and more were sparring online. Twitter users were quick to take sides in the chicken sandwich throwdown.

If the chicken sandwich debate feels like it came out of nowhere, think again. Chick-fil-A’s recent growth is forcing chains across the US to up their chicken sandwich game, with a number of chains doubling down on testing and adding new menu items in recent months.

In addition to Popeyes, Buffalo Wild Wings and Cracker Barrel rolled out new chicken sandwiches in recent months. CNBC reported in July that McDonald’s franchisees are pushing the company to make developing a new chicken sandwich the chain’s “top priority.”

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